Crane



T. IVI. NICHOLS.

CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1919.

, Patented Nov. 7, M2?

5 SIV'IEETS-SHEEI I- witness CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 22. 1919.

Patented Nov. 7, M22,

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T. M. NICHOLS.

CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 22. I9I9.

jmmz. Mmmm... 7,1922..

5 SHEETS-SHEE'I 3.

T. NI. NICHOLS.

CRANE.

. PPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1919. 1,43623@ Patented Nov. 7, 1922.,

5 SHEETS-SHEE`| 4.

T. lVLnNICHOLS.

CRANE.

ARRLICATION FILED NOV.- 22, 19l9.

194%623 hunted Nov. 7, 19

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Patented Nov. 7, 192,2.

PATENT ortica.

THOMAS MILLARID' NICHOLS, 0F ASHLAND, KENTUCKY.

Ceann.

Application led November To all whom/.it may concern:

vBe it known that l, THOMAS M. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United Sta-tes, residing at Ashland, in the county of. Boyd and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Crane, of which the following is a Speciication.

The device forming the subject matter of this 'application is a crane of that general type shown in my prior Patent No. 1,307,412, granted on the 24th day of J une 1919.

The present invention aims to provide novel means for propelling the truck, op-

erating the turn table, and braking the movement of the truck.

It is within the province of the disclosurel to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to. which t-he4 invention appertains.

With'the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description .proceeds, theinvention resides in the combination and-arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described 4and claimed, it being understood that, ,Within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of' the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a top plan wherein parts are broken away; Figure 3 is a bottom plan, parts being broken away; Figure 4 is a transverse section' taken on the line 4 4 of Figure l; Figure 5 isa transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

The numeral 1 denotes aftruck frame carrying bearings 2 wherein an axle 3 is journaled for rotation, the laxle 3 carrying wheels 4. The numeral 5 denotes an axle held by a king bolt 6, or'otherwise, to the truck frame 1, to swin in a horizontal plane, for the purpose o steering the machine. Wheels 7 are journaledpn the ends of the axle 5.

The platform of the truck is designated by the numeral 8 and carries a base plate 9 provided'with an upstanding annular rack 10, that portion of the 'base plate 9 which extends outwardly'beyond the rack 10 forming a track 11. Noting Figure 4, it will be observed thatxt-he base plate 9 has a tubular bearing 12 upstanding from the base late and extended downwardly therefrom, through the platform 8 of the truck."

22, 1919- Serial No. 339,823.

' The inventioncomprises a turn table 14 having a tubular bearing 15 cooperating with the upper end of the bearing 12 of the base plate 9. Wheels 16 are supported for rotation on the turn table 14 and cooperate with the track 11 of the base plate 9 to form an anti-frictional mounting for the turn table.

A tubular shaft 17 is mounted to rotate in the bearings 12 and 15, A beveled pinion 18 `is secured to the upper end of the shaft 1.7 and cooperates with the bearing 15 to hmitythe downward movement of the shaft 17 said shaft coacting with the bearing 12 of the base plate 9 to' maintain the turn table 14 centered for rotation. A beveled pinion 19 is secured to the lower end of the tubular shaft 17 and meshes into a beveled pinion 20 secured to a horizontal shaft 21 Journ'aled in hangers 22 on the truck frame 1. The shaft 21 carries a sprocket wheelV 23 engaged with a sprocket chain 24, the chain 24 being en agedv with a sprocket wheel 25 on the aX e 3.

Located within the tubular shaft 17 and rotatable therein, is a second tubular shaft 26 provided at its upper end with a` sprocket wheel 27 servingtohold the shaft 26 against downward movement, and cooperating with a sprocket chain 28 engaged with a sprocket wheel 29 carried by a vertical steering shaft the movable axle w5, on opposite sides of the kin bolt 6.

vBearings 37 are erected on the turn table 14., and therein a shaft 38 is mounted lfor rotation and for longitudinal sliding movement, Figure 4 being noted at this point. A beveled friction wheel 39 is secured to one end of the shaft 38 and is adapted lto be moved, when the shaft 38 moves endwise, into and out of engagement with a beveled friction wheel 40 carried by a vertical shaft 41 journa-led in a bearing 42 on the turn table 14. A pinion 43 is secured to the lower end of .the shaft 4l. and meshes into the rack 10 which forms-a part of the base plate 9. There is a beveled' pinion 44 on t-he shaft 38, and when the said shaft is moved longitudinally in the bearings 37 the beveled pinion moves into and out of engagement with the beveled pinion 18 which is secured to the upper end of the shaft 17.

Noting Figure 2, it will be seen that the shaft 38 carries a gear wheel 45 cooperating with a gear wheel 46 constituting a part of an air compressor 47. From the compres' sor 47, a pipe 48 leads to an air tank 49 mounted on the turn table 14. On one end of the shaft 38 a gear wheel 50 is mounted.

rlhe gear wheel 50 meshes into a gear wheel 51 which, as shown in Figure 5, is se-lk cured to one member of a shaft 52, the shaft being journaled in bearings 53-58 erected' of the internal combustion engine 72, the' clutch being operated by a lever 109, or 'in any other suitable way. That end of the shaft 71 of the internal combustionengine which is adjacent to the pinion 70 may be Supl irted in a bearing 75 on the turn-table 14. A reversing mechanism 107 may be interposed in the engine shaft 71 the reversing mechanism being operated by any suitable means indicated at 108.

A manifold 110 is supported on the turn table 14, compressed airbeing supplied to the manifold through a pipe 111 leading to the air tank 49. A pipe 112 leads from the manifold 110 and is extended downwardly l i through the hollow shaft 26 as Figure 4 will disclose. The pipe 112 is controlled by a cated beneath the truck and controlling a lbrake mechanism 116 `wheels 4.

Pipes 132 lead from the manifold 110 and are controlled by a valve 133. The pipes 132 lead to a cylinder 134, the piston rod 135 of which is connected to one end of a lever 136, fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the turn table 14, the other end ofthe lever 1136 being pivoted to a collar 137 operating between abutments 219 on the shaft 38 of Figure 4.

The steering of the machine is brought about by a train of velements including the hand wheel 31,`th shaft 30 the sprocket chain 28, the sprocket wheel 27 on the upper end of the tubular shaft 26, the tubular shaft 26, the collar 33 on the lower end of the tubular shaft 26, the sprocket wheel 34 on the fthe turn table 14, there is established a drivvalve 114, and leads tova cylinder 115 lo-v coacting with the .be passed over with a brief catalogue desleeve 33, the sprocket chain shown in- Figure 3, the a-Xle 5 mounted to swing on the king bolt 6, land the wheels 7.

Let it be` supposed that it is' desired to propel the truck 1. Then lthe valve 133 is manipulated so asV to admit air into the ap' propriate one of the pipes 132, the piston rod 135 of the cylinder 134 being operated to actuate the lever 136. The lever 136, coactin with the ring 137 and the abutments 219 see Figure 4) moves the shaft 38 to the right (Figure 4) until the beveled pinion 44 is in mesh with the beveled pinion 18. Now there is established a driving train embodying the internal combustion engine 72, its shaft 71, the pinion 70, ,thel gear wheel 51, the gear wheel 50, the shaft 38, the beveled pinion 44, the beveled pinion 18, the tubular shaft 17, the beveled pinion 19,l the beveled pinion 20, the shaft v21, the sprocket wheel 23, the sprocket chain 24, the sprocketl wheel 25, the shaft 3, and the wheels 4.

Let it be supposed however, that it is desired to rotate the turn table 14. Then, through the instrumentality of the valve 133 .and the appropriate one of the pipes 132,

the rod 135 of the 'cylinder 134 operates the lever 136 to shifd the shaft 38 to the left (Figure 4) until the beveled pinion 44 of the propelling mechanism is out of engagement with the beveled pinion 18, the friction wheel 39 of the shaft 38 being brought into engagement with the friction wheel 40 of the shaft 41. Now, for the purpose of rotating ing train embodyin the internal combustion engine ,72,` its s ftl 71, the pinion 70,

the gear wheel 51, the gear wheel 50, the shaft 38,- the friction wheel 39, the friction wheel 40, the shaft 41, the pinion 43, and the rack 10 of the base plate 9. If the brakes 116 are to be set, airis admitted into the pipe 112 from the manifold by a proper manipulation of the valve 114. The pressure is transmitted to the cylinder 115, the brakes 116 being set on the wheels 4.

Noting Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be clear that the shaft 38 transmits motion vtransmitted from the compressor to the tank 49 by wa of the pipe 48. The pressure in the tan 49 is carried to the manifold 110 through the pipe 111. A

Since the device forming the subject matter of this application is a propelling and brake mechanism, parts not related thereto and shown incidentally in the drawings may scription. The frame comprises a drum 59 on the shaft 52, a boom 77 mounted on the turn table 14, a rab 90, a releasing line 102 for the grab, an aload-lifting line 104 assembled with the grab, the lines 102 and 104 130 being connected to the drum 59, and a clamp 83 for the releasing line 102, the clamp being mounted on the boom. Pneumatic means 121-123 communicates with the manifold 110 and controls the clamp 83. A Huid pressure means 117, connected with the manifold, operates the grab 90. The drum 59 is under the control of a brake 67, operated by pneumatic means 1159-131, connected to the manifold 110. Pneumatic means 126, communicating with the manifold 110, is effective to couple the drum 59 to the shaft 52.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. in a device of the class described, a truck; a propellin mechanism for the truck; a turn table journaled on the truck; mechanism for rotating the turn table; a shaft journaled on the truck and slidable to cooperate with either of said mechanisms at the will of an operator; a Huid pressure cylinder on the truck; a piston operating in the cylinder; means for connecting the piston to the shaft to slide the same; a'source of Huid pressure supply on the truck; a conduit leading from said source t0 the cylinder; and a valve in the conduit.

2. ln a device of the class described, a truck; a propelling mechanism therefor; a irst hollow shaft journaled on the truck and constituting a partof the propelling mechanism; means for driving the shaft; a turn table journaled on the shaft; a steering mechanism including a second hollow shaft journaled in the rst hollow shaft; a brake for the truck; and means for operating the brake, said means passing through the second hollow shaft.

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, ll have hereto alixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS MILLARD NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

` C. H. WEssnL,

GEO..H. Banner. 

